Born: Birmingham, 1951.
Everton appearances: 289.
Everton goals: 138
Everton honours: League Cup runner-up, 1977.
12 England caps.
But as every other footballer worthy of note in 1978 also adopted a wet-look perm, he could be forgiven for his faux pas.
But if his fashion sense proved faulty, where Latchford was almost utterly faultless was in his ability to convert goalscoring opportunities.
A goal poacher supreme, many of Latchford's 138 goals for Everton came from close range.
A deceptively quick sprinter over short distances, the burly six-footer also possessed the uncanny ability to hang in the air to meet a cross - never better exemplified than in scoring the winning goal in the 1977 League Cup semi-final at Bolton.
But diving headers were his speciality.
Time after time Latchford would fling himself at the near post to meet a driven cross - and with one flick of his forehead send the ball arrowing into the opposite corner of the net, the goalkeeper completely foxed.
Billy Wright's driven cross carried sufficient power to have flashed across the penalty area before most strikers could have blinked.
Time after time Latchford would fling himself at the near post to meet a driven cross - and with one flick of his forehead send the ball arrowing into the opposite corner of the net, the goalkeeper completely foxed.
The dramatic extra-time equaliser at Elland Road in an FA Cup semi-final against West Ham was typical.
Latchford, however, plunged to meet the ball with his head and arrowed a perfectly placed header into The Hammers' net.
Typical of Everton and Latchford's fortunes that decade, however, West Ham swept straight back down the opposite end of the pitch to snatch a scrappy winner.
It was Latchford's prolific goalscoring record throughout such a lean period in Everton's fortunes that decade, however, that hints at his greatness.
Those 30 league goals in 1978 are also a pointer to the quality of Latchford's finishing. The Express initiated the prize because no-one had reached the 30 goal target since 1972. Even then Francis Lee, who struck 33 that season, did so with a record 13 penalty kicks.
But given an out and out winger in Dave Thomas to supply him with bullets, Latchford's marksmanship was unerringly accurate. It was another six seasons before that 30-goal target was breached again.
It wasn't just out and out goalscoring that marked
His ability to kill passes fired at him from almost any angle, control the ball and pull attacking midfielders into the fray, earned him the nickname 'The Sponge' around Bellefield.
But it was undoubtedly goalscoring that earned him the undying affection of Evertonians who worshipped his talents in the 1970s.
And he was capable of finding the net in any company.
He won 12 full international caps for England - when he recorded a more than respectable 5 goals.
His strike partner in many of those games, Kevin Keegan, was always fiercely supportive of his talents - at a time when southern press championed strikers like Malcolme MacDonald and Mick Channon.
Latchford was a Roy of the Rovers figure in an under-achieving time in Everton's fortunes.
Just how good was he?
Ask any Evertonian who watched him in the 1970s... including Steve McManaman and Ian Rush.